1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a box, an object packaging system, and a method of packaging an object using the box. The box may be of the type that includes a square or rectangular section body having a front panel and a rear panel connected by two or more side panels. The front, rear, and side panels may be produced by folding a sheet material such as board or other such material. The body of the box includes at least one opening and an associated closing system. The object contained in the box may have, optionally, a portion that is in contact with the front panel of the box. The invention may relate to the packaging of a lipstick case, which may have a cylindrical form, in a box that may be proportioned to the dimensions of the case.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of a conventional device can be found in EP-A-0 318 750, which discloses a box in which the closing system includes two side tabs produced by folding the continuation of each side panel, with each side tab having a front edge situated nearest the front longitudinal panel. The box also includes a lid part produced by folding the continuation of a rear panel that is designed to be folded down over the side tabs. The lid part also includes a flap produced by folding the continuation of the lid part. The lid part thus exhibits a first edge connected to the rear panel and a second edge connected to the flap. During closing; the flap is intended to be inserted into a passage defined between the front panel of the box and the front edge of the side tabs. The side tabs are configured to overlap before the flap is inserted into the passage. The side tabs also have teeth for engaging a slot made in the fold between the flap and the lid.
With a box having the aforementioned configuration, difficulty may be encountered while attempting to insert the flap between the front face of the box and the object contained within the box when closing the lid part. This difficulty may be aggravated by the configuration of the object and the relative shape and dimensions of the box. setting, the difficulty may be increased further, especially if the object within the box is constrained from moving transversely within the box.
The above mentioned circumstances can frequently occur when the object to be packaged must be restrained from movement while contained within the box. An example of such a situation exists with the packaging of make-up products, for example, such as lipstick cases and similar products. These products are sometimes packaged in boxes with a certain amount of lateral and/or axial clearance. When such clearance exists, it is likely that the cases will rattle about inside the box during transport. If a case contains a stick of lipstick, the stick may become detached from its holder as a result of rattling about inside the box. Consequently, since a product such as lipstick has a relatively soft consistency, the product may become spoiled and unusable. Similar problems may also occur with other products, such as compacted make-up products.
Therefore, in order to prevent a case from rattling about inside the box, the dimensions of the box may be configured to closely fit the dimensions of the object being packaged. This provides a very simple and effective manner for securing the object within the box regardless of how the box is shaken or jolted such as may be encountered during transport.
However, when the box is configured to provide a close fit to the object it contains, once the object has been placed within the box, it can be very difficult to insert the free edge of the flap of the lid part into the box. With the object contacting the front panel of the box, often the flap abuts against the object instead of sliding between the object and the front panel of the box. Consequently, the flap is often damaged and the box cannot be closed properly.
An optional object of the present invention is to provide a box having dimensions that may approximate the dimensions of the object to be contained within the box in order to prevent substantially all movement of the object inside the box, and to provide a box that is simple to close.
Optionally, the invention may seek to provide a means that will enable a closing flap to be inserted easily between the front panel of a box and a corresponding portion of the object to be contained inside the box, where the insertion may be optionally performed by means of industrial tooling.
According to a first optional aspect of the invention, a box for packaging an object comprises a front panel defining a width, a rear panel, side panels connecting the front panel to the rear panel, at least one opening, and a closing system associated with the opening. The closing system may comprise a lid part defined by a folded continuation portion of the rear panel. The lid part may be configured to fold down over the opening when placed in a closed position. A flap may be defined by an uninterrupted fold line extending through at least a portion of the lid part located centrally between opposite sides of the lid part. The flap may be configured to be positioned between the object and the front panel when the lid part is in the closed position. The flap may also have a free edge having an outline configured to assist with interpositioning the flap between the object and the front panel.
According to a second optional aspect of the invention, a box for packaging an object comprises a front panel defining a width, a rear panel, side panels connecting the front panel to the rear panel, at least one opening, and a closing system associated with the opening. The closing system may optionally include a lid part defined by a folded continuation portion of the rear panel, wherein the lid part is configured to fold down over the opening when placed in a closed position. A flap may be defined by a folded portion of the lid part with the flap being configured to be positioned between the object and the front panel when the lid part is in the closed position. The flap may have a free edge including an outline configured to assist with interpositioning the flap between the object and the front panel. The box may also include at least one side tab defined by a continuation of one of the side panels and a fold line, where the side tab may have a side edge extending between the fold line and a terminal edge of the side tab. The side edge may be configured to be spaced from the front panel adjacent the terminal edge when the side tab is placed in a closed position. The flap may further be configured to be positioned between the side edge of the side tab and the front panel when the lid part is in the closed position.
Yet another optional aspect of the invention comprises an object packaging system including a box having a front panel defining a width, a rear panel, two side panels connecting the front panel to the rear panel, and at least one opening and an object contained within the box. The object may optionally have a cross-section substantially contacting the front panel adjacent the opening only at a contact portion defined by a portion of the width of the front panel. The object packaging system may also include a closing system associated with the opening, where the closing system may comprise a lid part defined by a folded continuation portion of the rear panel. The lid part may be configured to fold down over the opening when placed in a closed position. Further, a flap may be defined by a folded portion of the lid part, where the flap may be configured to be positioned between the object and the front panel when the lid part is in the closed position. The flap may optionally include a free edge having an outline configured to assist with interpositioning the flap between the object and the contact portion.
According to another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may also include a flap having a free edge forming at least one extension configured to fit into a space formed between the object and the front panel and defined on at least one side of the contact portion. The extension may be located adjacent an edge portion defined by a progressively changing distance from the lid part, where the edge portion may be configured to progressively engage the object as the lid part is closed, and to further assist with the interpositioning of the flap between the object and the front panel.
An additional optional aspect of the invention may include an object packaging system wherein the object is substantially in contact with the front panel at only a central portion of the front panel, and the free edge forms two extensions separated by a distance greater than the width of the contact portion.
Yet another optional aspect of the invention may include an object packaging system wherein the cross-section of the object comprises at least one portion of an arc of a circle, with the object optionally being configured to be positioned in tangential contact with the front panel.
An additional optional aspect of the invention includes an object packaging system wherein the cross-section of the object is one of circular, oval, hexagonal, octagonal, and polygonal.
According to another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a flap having two extensions being separated by an indentation having the form of one of a V-shape, a trapezium, and an arc.
Optionally, in another aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may have a flap including a free edge having an outline that extends progressively in a direction facing away from the lid part and toward an apex of each extension.
As an example of another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a flap having a free edge including an outline having a convex shape.
An additional optional aspect of the invention may include an object packaging system having a closing system comprising at least one side tab defined by a continuation of one of the side panels. The flap of the closing system may be configured to be positioned between an edge of the side tab and the front panel when the lid part is in the closed position.
In an additional optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a case containing one of a make-up product and a care product.
In yet another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a case containing one of lipstick, foundation, and lip-care product.
According to another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a box formed from a sheet material.
In an additional optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a box formed from one of board, paper board, cardboard, and a paper-based material.
In another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a flap having a free edge forming one extension configured to fit into a space formed between the object and the front panel, wherein the free edge curves progressively from a convex configuration to a concave configuration.
In yet another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a second opening and a second closing system associated with the second opening. The second closing system may include a second lid part defined by a folded continuation portion of one of the panels, wherein the second lid part is configured to fold down over the second opening when placed in a closed position. The second closing system may also include a second flap defined by a folded portion of the second lid part where the second flap may be configured to be positioned between the object and one of the panels when the second lid part is in the closed position. The second flap may also have a free edge having an outline configured to assist with interpositioning the second flap between the object and one of the panels.
In another optional aspect of the invention, the object packaging system may include a second lid part defined by a folded continuation portion of the rear panel, and a second flap may have a free edge having an outline configured to assist with interpositioning the second flap between the object and the front panel.
In another additional optional aspect of the invention, a method of packaging an object may comprise providing an object packaging system according to any optional aspects of the invention, and further including inserting the flap between the object and the contact portion.
In an additional optional aspect of the invention, a method of packaging an object may include providing a case containing one of a make-up product and a care product.
In another optional aspect of the invention, a method of packaging an object may include providing a case containing one of lipstick, foundation, and lip-care product.
According to another optional aspect of the invention, a method of packaging an object may include providing an object packaging system according to any optional aspects of the invention, inserting a flap between the object and the contact portion, and further inserting a second flap between the object and one of the panels.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood, that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary.